Edmonton Oilers linemates Leon Draisaitl, left, and Connor McDavid celebrate the game winning goal on the the Anaheim Ducks during overtime period NHL action at Rogers Place, in Edmonton April 1, 2017. The Oilers won 3-2 in overtime.AMBER BRACKEN / Postmedia

The Cult’s McDavid, Pouliot, Draisaitl podcast

Connor McDavid reportedly has a new eight-year deal, Leon Draisaitl is reportedly looking for $9-million plus, offer sheets are being threatened, Benoit Pouliot on a buy-out, and Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli is puffing himself up like a Puff Adder Snake to ward off predators. The Cult of Hockey’s David Staples and Bruce McCurdy discuss.

Chiarelli has made clear he’ll match any offer sheet. Yet the chatter is heating up

This in from TSN’s Craig Button, the notion that the Montreal Canadiens should prepare an offer sheet for Leon Draisaitl.

“(Montreal’s) biggest need is a No. 1 centre. It’s a glaring need. It’s a glaring hole. So forget about free agent frenzy, how about free agent shocks. If the Edmonton Oilers don’t get Leon Draisaitl signed by July 1, how about an offer sheet for Leon Draisaitl because the young player fits in perfectly with where they’re at, which is about today and Carey Price and what they can do to compete in the eastern conference. So that would create shock waves.”

TSN reporter Frank Seravalli then said: “I would be shocked if that happens, Craig. The reason is teams haven’t found a way to be creative enough to find a poison pill to disincentivize a team from matching, and that’s exactly why I don’t think we’ll see an offer sheet in this case.”

My take

Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli has made clear he will match any offer sheet for Draisaitl. A week ago, he told reporters: “There’s always the chatter and I want to be firm and clear that we have a significant amount of space and will match anything.”

We’ve seen Chiarelli is someone who clearly telegraphs things he’s going to do, then he does it. So if Montreal makes an offer sheet to Draisaitl, Chiarelli will match that offer sheet.

There have been only five offer sheets to restricted free agents in the NHL since 2008 and every single one of them was matched. The last one came in February, 2013, with Calgary offer sheeting Ryan O’Reilly and Colorado matching.

Source: Sportsnet

Knowing all this, the only reason to make an offer sheet is to drive up Draisaitl’s contract price so he will take more of Edmonton’s cap space and make it more difficult for the Oilers to sign other players. This is a tempting notion, perhaps, but it’s not one we have seen any NHL GM do. In the past, in the rare instances when we have seen offer sheets it’s been related to genuine attempts to prey on a team in a weak cap or financial position, so that the team making the offer will win the player. It would essentially be unprecedented — so far as I can ascertain — for a team to make an offer sheet to Draisaitl knowing Chiarelli would match with the sole purpose of hammering the Oilers’ salary cap situation. As tempting as such a notion might seem to armchair GMs, it’s not how real world NHL GMs go about business.

If Draisaitl is looking at fair market value and trying to get a fair deal, he’ll look at the $6.75 million per Johnny Gaudreau got in Calgary and the $7.5 million per Vladimir Tarasenko got in St. Louis and he’ll take a long term deal in that range. If his goal is to maximize his wages, however, his agent Mike Liut will have to actively seek out an offer sheet. Of course, Draisaitl has every right to try to maximize his salary. I can’t speak for other Oilers fan, but as much as I admire the player and hope he signs a fair and reasonable contract that will make him immensely wealthy as an Edmonton Oiler, I’m going to try not to whine too much if Liut works that angle and tries to get as much as he can for Draisaitl.

In trading Jordan Eberle and in buying out Benoit Pouliot, Chiarelli got rid of two players that I firmly believe had worn out their welcome with Oilers coach Todd McLellan. At the same time, however, Chiarelli opened up $6.2 million in cap space, creating all kinds of room for the Oilers to match any offer for Draisaitl. It strikes me that a big reason for the moves — and especially this Pouliot move — was for Chiarelli to wave a big sign in the face of any rival GM with the message that he wasn’t just talking when he said he’d match any offer sheet, he actually meant it. Cap space talks loudly.

Chiarelli’s position that he’ll match any offer is an aggressive negotiating move, as it is intended to prevent such an offer sheet from happening. If Draisaitl’s camp is playing some hardball, so is Chiarelli. But it’s all just business. One would hope both sides keep things cool and also keep an eye on the real prizes, which are for everyone to get filthy rich, yes, but also for them to find a way to band together and create a solid and talented team that can compete for the Stanley Cup this coming season and in the long term.

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